We entered and once we were all accounted for our server lead us not to the crazy color-changing general dining space, but down a nondescript staircase and through a dimly lit hallway to our private dining room. I felt like we were the special needs kids. I felt like we been bad and were being put in time out. I felt like Sloth chained to the wall in the basement of the Fratelli hideout. Were they ashamed of us? I hoped not, we'd only been there two minutes. Our private room was really great though, complete with phallic light fixtures abound. They definitely knew how to cater to a bachelor party.
We ordered drinks and a few appetizers and almost instantly our first course was presented to us. It was a sushi platter for the entire table. This was also Andy's gift to me.
The server guy laid out each and every piece and I couldn't even begin to tell you what they all were. Since I had first dibs I gladly helped myself to the toro and a few rolls.
The toro was great but I would have better later. I can't even begin to guess how Morimoto makes sushi taste this good but the spicy salmon roll I had was the best roll I've ever tasted. The sesame seeds were so fresh and the creamy sauce sand perfectly with the flavor of the salmon. It was then that I knew we were in for some spectacular food. This was also a night of bests for me so don't let that deter you, I ate better than I ever have at this meal.
Shortly afterwards drinks and appetizers hit the table. My dad got this crazy lotus blossom martini. Whatever possessed my dad to order that, I have no idea, he's usually a T&T guy, but it was delicious.
A few orders of edamame came out and my dad got the rock shrimp tempura. The edamame was very buttery but otherwise nothing I haven't had before. Upon first sight the rock shrimp tempura reminded me of bang bang shrimp from Bonefish:
The shrimp flavor was definitely more profound here but where bang bang shrimp finishes on a creamy note, this finished more on the tart side. This dish went around the table so everyone could try and everyone approved. It wasn't until it came back to me and I dipped my shrimp in my soy sauce that the dish really took off. "Oh my god everyone try the shrimp with the soy sauce". They did. They put on their Oh Face. It was quite lovely. That soy sauce tasted like the tears of a goddess.
The beverage to compliment my first course came out and it was very pretty. Basically, my meal included the $120 dinner Omakase (chef's tasting menu) and the $65 beverage Omakase to go along with it. Everyone but my dad and George ordered the $85 Omakase which was basically a cheaper chef's tasting menu. They didn't get quite the caliber of ingredients I did and a few of the courses weren't as extravagant. George ordered a bunch of maki rolls and my dad ordered curried duck breast. Luckily our awesome waitress gave me a print out of my meal, but sadly I have no reference material for the beverages accompanying each course. After trying the waitress recommended sake that Chris M. and Andy were splitting my brother and I decided to do the same. It was called Yoki No Bosha and was ridiculously smooth and had a fruity note to it. I sipped that all throughout the meal, as if a different drink with each course wasn't enough!
Our first course arrived. It was toro tartare with fresh wasabi and ossetra caviar. It was also accompanied by a small berry to cleanse the palate. I could've sworn she called it some sort of mountain peach but this didn't look like any peach I've ever eaten. The deal here is to get some wasabi on your spoon and scoop into the tartare being sure to collect a lovely orb of caviar along the way and finally dipping the entire thing in the broth.
The tartare was wonderful. The wasabi was surprisingly subtle and creamy. The whole dish just utterly melted on the tongue. I remember the beverage being slightly sweet and bubbly efficiently cleansing to the palate. As I was savoring every bite the table gradually erupted in proclamations of how amazing the berry was. The need to order an entire bag of them to go was voiced on more than one occasion. I quickly finished the rest of my dish and gave the berry a whirl. I had never tasted anything like it. It was a complete palate wipe. It was like I had just finished brushing my teeth and using mouthwash. It was a revelation. The berry honestly generated just as much buzz as the dish itself. I read a lot of fantasy novels and this is something I imagine Salvatore or Weis and Hickman were trying to describe when writing about elaborate feasts being held in elven palaces. That is until hordes of orcs breach the city walls and start disemboweling people. I don't want to think of what that tastes like. Probably McDonald's.
Course two was kumamoto oysters with three sauces: japanese orange salsa, citrus cilantro ceviche, and thai fish sauce with jalapeno.
I've never been a fan but I figured if anyone could make me like them, Morimoto could. And he did. They had a wonderful soft texture and not a hint of sliminess or fishy taste. The ceviche was my favorite because I felt the tangyness complimented the subtle taste of the oysters the best. I asked if I could keep the shells as mementos and she didn't skip a beat replying she would have them boxed up for me. It's great to be waited on like a king.
Our third course whitefish carpaccio: chef's choice sashimi seared with hot sesame oils seasoned with yuzu citrus soy finished with shiso, ginger, mitsuba, and chives.
Dear lord this dish was amazing. We're by no means high-brow diners here so our comments on the food weren't the most accurate. We all felt that this dish tasted like bacon in a fantabulous way. This was by far the best cooked fish I'd ever eaten. If I remember correctly one response was "My mouth just had sex with itself". After eating all of the fish I bent down and slurped the sauce. Twice. It was all over my face. If the following courses were all mediocre I still would've considered the meal worth it because of this dish. Little did I know the best thing I'd ever eaten awaited just a few short courses away.
The fourth course for me was a sashimi salad with chef's choice sashimi served over mixed greens dressed with soy-onion and chive oil with a balsamic reduction, finished with shaved bonito.
After reading that description I can't believe there were that many ingredients in this dish. This was the only cacophonous note in an otherwise impeccable symphony of flavor. Again, I wish I knew what kind of fish this was, but I have no idea. I reached for the accompanying beverage with hopes that it would ignite the dull flavors of the sashimi but it was just as flat as the dish.
At this time we had an intermezzo of strawberry verbena soda. This was also a very pretty drink:
This beverage had a very similar effect to the berry accompanying the first course. It was refreshing and set your mouth back to ground zero. If Giant sold this in the carbonated beverage aisle I would buy it by the truckload. Awesome. This is also when the non-Omakase entrees were served.
Dad's duck:
And George's maki rolls(from the left that is yellowtail, eel avocado, spicy salmon, and shrimp tempura w/scallion):
I think it is here that I will leave you hanging. The next update will feature the shining star of the meal. To find out what it was, you'll have to keep tuning in to microcosm k!
2 comments:
"That soy sauce tasted like the tears of a goddess." Man, you were drunk out of your mind, weren't you? LOL
I wouldn't have nearly as much detail as this if I had been drunk! That's definitely a problem I've encountered on more than one occasion since I started this blog. Surprisingly I didn't get drunk that night, not even after the endless rounds at Club Risque that night.
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